Play and exercise apparatus



May 1, 1962 1.. R. FREEBERG PLAY AND EXERCISE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 26, 1959 INVENTOR.

Jfiaxmsm 4m- 1?. Five-3526- May 1, 1962 R. FREEBERG 3,032,343

PLAY AND EXERCISE APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I i [II I Lil i i 224 L92. r'-=== /r INVENTOR. L015 1. FREE-BERG- BY g UnitedStates Patent O 3,032,343 PLAY AND EXERCISE APPARATUS Lois R. Fresher-g,South St. Paul, Minn. (2415 Brookdale Road, Moor-head, Minn.) Filed Aug.26, 1959, Ser. No. 836,277 1 Claim. (Cl. 27256.5)

This invention relates to a play and exercise apparatus particularlyadapted. for children from six months to four years of age. Children atan early age develop an eager liking for climbing and for raisingthemselves to higher levels and for sliding as down inclined surfaces.

It is desirable therefore to have such an apparatus as will enable achild to learn and to develop its ability to crawl, climb and slide, andalso to provide the child with a raised stage area where toys may becollected and played with. Small children appear to have a great likingfor a play area which is above ground level or floor level and which issomewhat closer to an adult level of height.

It is an object therefore of this invention to provide a play andexercise apparatus for small children, as between the ages of six monthsand four years, which will enable said children to crawl, climb andslide for the purpose of developing their muscular ability and also todevelop coordination between various parts of their bodies.

It is also an object of this invention to provide for smaller children aplay and exercise apparatus of a size which may conveniently be used inthe home as well as out-of-doors and which may be adapted to be storedaway in a nested position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a play and exerciseapparatus comprising a portion having a flight of steps and having inconnection therewith a second or ramp portion having a downwardlyinclined unobstructed surface to be used as a slide.

It is another object of this invention to provide a play and exerciseapparatus comprising a portion having a flight of steps, with said stepsprogressively increasing in height and respectively having a substantiallanding area, and a second portion adapted for operational engagementwith said first portion having a downwardly inclined surface to providea sliding surface adjacent to the landing area of the uppermost of saidsteps.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a play andexercise apparatus having in combination, a portion comprising a seriesof steps progressively increasing in height and respectively havingsubstantial landing areas to provide play surfaces and a ramp portionformed to have an unobstructed downwardly inclined surface adapted tobutt up against the uppermost of said steps and being in the plane ofthe landing thereof, and a pair of rails at either side of said stepportion adapted to removably secure together said step portion and saidinclined portion whereby a play and exercise apparatus is provided to beused for climbing and sliding purposes and with landings provided ateach of the step levels to be used as play areas.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of applicants device;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section on an enlarged scaletaken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 as indicated by the arrows to show a detailof the construction thereof;

FIG.3 is a view in side elevation of a portion of applicants apparatusshowing a part thereof in an alternate position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale in 3,032,343 PatentedMay 1, 1962 vertical section taken. on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 as indicatedby the arrows;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view in perspective indicating a nesting relationbetween portions of applicants apparatus; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 5 indicating applicantsapparatus in a nested position.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, applicants play and exerciseapparatus 10 is indicated. Said apparatus may take various forms tocarry out the purposes and functions indicated. In the embodiment of thein vention here presented, applicants apparatus is shown comprising astep portion 12 and a ramp or sliding portion 14. Said apparatus willpreferably be made of a sturdy material having a durable resilientfinish thereon which may be able to withstand hard usage and yet retaina desirable appearance. While various materials and finishes may beused, applicants apparatus is here indicated as being formed of metalsheet material having a surface, such as an enamel surface, formedthereon.

Applicants step portion 12 is shown substantially rectangular in planhaving sides 16 and 17 respectively forming rails for said step portion12 having offset portions therein forming steps 20, 21 and 22respectively having riser portions 20a, 21a and 22a respectively andlanding areas 20b, 21b and 22b respectively. It has been found that aconvenient size for said step portion is approximately two feet in widthand two and one-half feet in length, with the risers respectivelyincreasing in height from three to four to five inches. Said landingareas 20b and 21b are indicated as being respectively nine inches indepth and said landing area 22b being approximately twelve inches indepth. Said step portion 12 will have a rear side 24 and will be of ahollow construction having a chamber 25 formed therein.

Adapted for operational engagement with said step portion 12 is the rampportion 14 having downwardly inclined sides 27 and 28, with an endenclosure 29 of the height of said rear end 24 of said step portion.Overlying the upper edge portions of sides 27 and 28 and integraltherewith is an unobstructed top surface 30. Said sides respectivelyterminate in pointed portions at their lower ends so that said topsurface 30 inclines downwardly to contact a ground or floor level. Saidramp portion 14 is constructed to have a hollow interior having thereina chamber 32. Said ramp portion 14 is here indicated as being of aslightly greater width than said step portion 12 to permit said stepportion to be nested into said chamber 32. The difference in width willonly be the thickness of material used to permit the step portion to bedisposed within said ramp portion, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Saidramp portion is also indicated as being somewhat greater in length thansaid step portion, and a length of approximately three and one-half feethas been found to be desirable. The upper portion 30a of said topsurface 30 has a very gradual incline so that in effect it forms for ashort distance a continuation of the landing surface 22b to provide asubstantial play area at the top of the apparatus.

With reference to FIG. 1, the step and ramp portions are adapted to havetheir rear end portions in mating engagement, with the uppermost portionof said surface 30 being in the plane of the landing 22b. Said step andramp portion may be removably held together in operative engagement invarious ways, but are here shown being held by a pair of rails 35 and 36extending at either side of said step portion 12 and having lowerdepending portions 35a and 36a respectively. Said step portion 12 ateither side of said step 20 in transverse alignment is provided withpairs of longitudinally spaced apertures 38 and 39. Said rails haveupper depending portions 35b and 36b respectively having lowerright-angled portions 35c and 360 respectively. Only the portion 350 ishere illustrated. The construction of each is the same. Said sides 16and 17 adjacent the upper step portion 22 have pairs of spaced apertures40 and 41 in transverse alignment. Said ramp portion in horizontalalignment with said apertures 40 and 4-1 has a pair of transverselyspaced apertures 43. Secured to the inner sides of said apertures, asindicated in FIG. 2, are nuts 45.

Said rails 35 and 36 are provided with bolts 47 having slotted recessedheads in the lower portions of the depending portions 35a and 36a to bedisposed through said apertures-38 or 39 to be threaded into the nuts 45adjacent thereto for locking engagement. Said rails have disposedthrough their angled portions 350 and 36c, pairs of bolts 48 havingslotted recessed head portions and adapted to be disposed through theapertures 40, '41 or 43 forlocking engagement with the nuts '45 adjacentthereto.

With 'ther'am'p portion-14 and the step portion '12 being used together,as indicated in FIG. 1, said bolts 48 will be respectively disposedthrough the adjacent apertures 43 and 49 in said ramp and step portionsto lock said ramp and step portions together. Said bolts 47 will then bedisposed through the apertures 38 at the lower step 20. If it is desiredto use the step portion separately, then said bolts 47 and 48 will beremoved and said rails 35 and 36 will be moved forwardly of the stepportion 12 whereby the-ramp portion 14 will become disengaged. The bolts47 will then be disposed through the apertures 39 'adjacent'the bottomstep 20, and the bolts 48 will be disposed respectively through theapertures 44 and 41 in the step portion 12 adjacent the upper step 22.

When the applicants apparatus is used in the condition indicated in FIG.1, a child may be able to climb or crawl up the steps in said stepportion 12, or play upon the landing of any of said steps, as may bedesired. It is noted that the risers of the successive stepsprogressively increase in height. A'child of six months may be only ableto crawl onto the lowermost step and will gradually develop its abilityto climb onto the second step, and in time onto the uppermost or thirdstep. It

may be desirable to have more steps provided in such an apparatusas ishere indicated, but the structure shown has been found to be verysatisfactory in practice. The hand rails are a great help to a child atthe time it is learning to stand and walk and for learning to climbsteps in an upright position. Said rails also provide a measure ofsafety and give to the child a sense of security which it requires inthe things with which it is associated.

Said ramp portion provides a wonderful fascination for a child in givingit an opportunity to slide a safe distance,

and also in providing a substantial challenge to a childs crawling orclimbing ability. Thus there is provided an all purpose play andexercise apparatus for a small child.

It is obvious that the step and ramp portions have independent utility.The step portion may be used separately, as in connection with a chairor davenport, so that a child may climb onto the same if such maybodesired. The ramp portion may be used as a slide, as in 'a sand box,or for even sliding into a small wading pool.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the applicants apparatus is providedfor convenient storage, being formed to have the step portion nestwithin the ramp portion with the rails removed.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a very compact, allpurpose play andexercise apparatus for small children which has proved to be unusuallysuccessful in actual practice.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention, which generallystated, consists in an apparatus capable of carrying out the objectsabove -set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed anddefined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A play and exercise apparatus having in combination, a self-supportingstep portion comprising side walls having a chamber formed therein andhaving an open bottom in a single plane and having steps formed in theupper surface extending upwardly from one end and terminating in alanding area,

a separable ramp portion enclosing vertical sides having upwardlyinclined upper edges and terminating in an end portion of the height ofthe landing area of said step portion, having an overlying upwardlyinclined upper surface, having a chamber formed therein and having anopen bottom lying in a single plane, and

a railing at either side of said step portion comprising a dependingportion removably secured at its lower end to a lower portion of saidstep portion, a depending portion at its upper end overlying and beingremovably secured to adjacent portions of the upper portions of saidramp and step portions, and an intermediate railing portion connectingthe upper ends of said depending portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

